title: Methylmercury in fish from the South China Sea: geographical distribution and biomagnification.
abstract: We conducted a large-scale investigation of methylmercury (MeHg) in a total of 628 marine wild fish covering 46 different species collected from the South China Sea between 2008 and 2009. Biological and ecological characteristics such as size (length and wet weight), feeding habit, habitat, and stable isotope (δ(15)N) were examined to explain MeHg bioaccumulation in marine fish and their geographical distribution. MeHg levels in the muscle tissues of the 628 individuals ranged from 0.010 to 1.811 μg/g dry wt. Log10MeHg concentration was significantly related to their length and wet weight. Feeding habit and habitat were the primary factors influencing MeHg bioaccumulation. Demersal fish were more likely to be contaminated with MeHg than the epipelagic and mesopelagic varieties. Linear relationships were obtained between Log10(MeHg) and δ(15)N only for one location, indicating that biomagnification was site-specific. Results from this study suggest that dietary preference and trophic structure were the main factors affecting MeHg bioaccumulation in marine fish from the South China Sea.
authors.affiliation: Key Laboratory of Marine Bio-resources Sustainable Utilization, South China Sea Institute of Oceanology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou 510301, China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China; South China Sea Environmental Monitoring Center, State Oceanic Administration, Guangzhou 510300, China.
authors.forename: Aijia
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Zhu
authors.forename: Wei
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Zhanzhou
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Xu
authors.forename: Liangmin
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Huang
authors.forename: Wen-Xiong
authors.initials: WX
authors.lastname: Wang
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002681:China; D004784:Environmental Monitoring; D005399:Fishes / Q000378:metabolism*; D020387:Food Chain; D008767:Methylmercury Compounds / Q000378:metabolism*; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D008767:Methylmercury Compounds; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical
keywords: Bioaccumulation; Biomagnification; Marine fish; Methylmercury; South China Sea